The Final Battle for Syria Has Begun
GAZIANTEP, Turkey—Syrian activists report that the Assad regime has launched its most intense assault since the beginning of the war almost nine years ago. The target is Idlib, the last opposition holdout in northwestern Syria.
All indicators suggest that the campaign will produce a new humanitarian disaster and be the beginning of a final confrontation between Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces and Russian-Iranian-backed pro-Assad units.
The fighting undermines the perception of a seamless Turkish-Russian rapprochement and reveals the hidden gridlock that exists even after years of negotiations over key issues that are critical to Turkey’s security and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s political prospects.